Make Your Own Oil/Varnish Blend

This article was inspired by a question from Brian. He writes:
I recently watched a woodworking show on TV. The cabinet maker used a mixture of linseed oil, tung oil, and polyurethane for the finish. He stated that he bought it off of the shelf. I can’t seem to find anything like it on the internet. Do you know of any product like this, or do I have to mix it myself? If I have to mix it, what is the ratio?

Making your own oil/varnish blends is a great way to save money. You can buy things like boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits in large gallon jugs, and then purchase the varnish as needed. The standard mixture is 1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil, 1/3 thinner (mineral spirits, paint thinner, turpentine, naptha), and 1/3 varnish (poly, spar, etc..).

For more information, please visit Dingtong.

Now the blend mentioned in Brian’s question involved using both linseed oil and tung oil. That’s a bit redundant. I think its better to have a varnish component in the mixture for extra durability, unless you truly want an oil-only finish.

Want more information on polyurethane oil seal? Feel free to contact us.

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Another advantage to mixing your own home brew is the fact that you will have total control over the finishes properties. Want a more close to the wood look and feel? Add more oil. Want more protection? Add more varnish. Want to make the finish easier to spread around the surface? Add more thinner. The possibilities are endless and you’ll be able to customize the finish to your needs and the needs of the project.

If you prefer to buy the finishes pre-made, take a look at some of the commercial oil/varnish blends like Waterlox, Minwax Tung Oil Finish, and Watco Danish Oil. And for more information on oil-based finishes, check out our video: Oil-Based Finish Basics.

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Hi Whitney,


I'm not sure that any chemists came up with this particular formula?

What it amounts to is using a "sealer" (something that seals the wood you are applying it to).
Paint and varnish have long been used to seal.
If the material is fairly thick with pigments, it tends to adhere just to the surface of the wood, okay if you are applying several coats to build up thickness/protection.

When you are working with raw or untreated wood, thinning the paint/varnish with the same solvent used in the material, you are literally making the mixture "thinner".
Using a much thinner mixture of the paint/varnish allows the material to penetrate much deeper into the wood.
This helps to protect the surface from minor cuts, scrapes, abrasions that would otherwise have allowed moisture to get under the applied layer of paint/varnish, and cause peeling, discoloration, and ultimately rot.

Applying a thinned mixture is not the end of the process however, as it is just a very thin layer that has penetrated a little ways into the wood.
Several more coats of the same material need to be applied, using standard finishing techniques such as cleaning and sanding or scuffing each layer after they are completely dry, to give the next coat something to grip.

Encapsulation, that is the goal.
If you do not/can not completely encapsulate the wood, you are better off to do nothing to your raw wood.

Some people use a thinned mixture of varnish, and then apply several layers of paint, which can work too.

Would water based material work?
I haven't tried, but if you could ensure that the wood was 100% waterproof when finished, it should.

Historically, oil based paints and varnishes have been much harder/abrasion resistant than the softer water based materials, meaning that rock chips, etc could perhaps penetrate the softer finish, leading to a better chance of water damage.

That said, on all my trailer projects, once I have the (bottom) wood encapsulated, I treat it with several coats of a rubberized automotive undercoating material, to provide extra protection.

On the exterior of my wood bodied trailer, undercoating would have spoiled the look, so I chose to add extra layers of varnish.
I check the finish carefully each time we're out camping and immediately touch up any nicks with clear fingernail polish to prevent moisture from getting under the finish, and every couple years I clean, scuff it up, and apply another coat of varnish.

A lot of work, but encapsulated is not encapsulated if there are holes in the finish...

Rob

48Rob":39iaenb9 said: That said, on all my trailer projects, once I have the (bottom) wood encapsulated, I treat it with several coats of a rubberized automotive undercoating material, to provide extra protection.

Great info in this thread, could you elaborate on the products you used before the automotive undercoating material? I am leaning towards using that as the final step in coating the underside of my floor. I am trying to determine which products to use before that. CPES sounds popular but it is very pricey, as you all know.

GPW":39iaenb9 said: You know , one thing to consider too is , wood left unfinished, inside seems to be unaffected for years and years , save the dust... Put the same wood outside and in months it's gone ..
Logic would dictate the best place to keep any wooden thing is Inside !!! Guessing if you're going to do a Beauty wood job like Rob's , you'd want to build a Garage for it too... Makes Good sense huh!!!
ANYTHING left outside is subject to all manner of Attacks !!! A trailer, "encapsulated" and stored inside , should last a lifetime, and more !!!

Good tip here. I am just beginning my build and have already called the underground storage facilities in town for pricing. They are temperature and humidity controlled all year. I figure with the amount of work we'll put into this I want it to last a long time.